The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual is a reference book, ostensibly created as a compilation of material accidentally transmitted by the USS Enterprise during the events of "Tomorrow is Yesterday", and detailing the technology of the 23rd century.

The two "technical orders" for the anabolic protoplasers are actually printed in REVERSE order; the large version, according to the table of contents, should have been printed first. Orientation of the page headings suggests that the page was bound on the wrong edge.

The Technical Manual was first published as a vinyl-jacketed hardcover in 1975. The actual book, removable from the vinyl jacket, was labeled "Star Fleet Technical Manual" on a solid red cover, printed in a fashion to look like a real technical manual or textbook, with no mention of Star Trek at all. Later printings have all been paperbacks with updated covers, all mentioning Star Trek prominently:

1986 – a "Star Trek 20 years 1966–1986" logo was added to the top left of the cover

1996 – an all-new cover with a "Star Trek 30 years" logo in the same corner

2006 – "Star Trek" portion of title enlarged, with the "40 Years" logo on the middle right and "Starfleet" written as one word rather than two

Titan Books also published their own version of the book in the UK in 1991, coinciding with the 25th anniversary.